This invention relates generally to clutch release bearings, notably for motor vehicles, and more particularly to the assembly incorporating a clutch release bearing in a motor vehicle.
More particularly, the invention relates to an assembly of this kind which makes use of an operating element, which is acted upon by a control member such as a disengaging fork, an actuator which, under the effect of the operating element, is adapted to act on the disengagement mechanism of a clutch, and a bearing element which is disposed between the operating element and the actuator.
Such an assembly is described, in particular, in a French patent application filed on Dec. 13, 1972 under No. 72 44298 and published under No. 2,169,578.
In this French patent application, the operating element forms a cowling which surrounds the outer ring of the bearing element without any radial play, and, similarly, the actuator comprises a tubular part which is fitted without any radial play into the inner ring of this bearing element.
In practice, even though this actuator is a separate component from the bearing element, technically it constitutes a simple axial extension of the inner ring thereof.
Since the bearing element is formed by ball bearings, this arrangement, which is well-known, has the advantage of enabling both radial and axial offsetting of the zone of action of these bearings and hence making it possible to use an economical bearing of reduced diameter and simple construction, without the inherent complications of such bearings.
Hitherto, clutch release bearing assemblies of this kind have not themselves had the property of self-centering which would enable them to correct any off-centering between the operating element and the actuator.
Such a movement off-centre might occur when the operating element is in engagement with a support member mounted so as to be axially movable, whilst the actuator in turn is mounted so as to slide axially over a support guide separate from the previous support member (this is not the case in the French patent application mentioned above).
It is also known, in so-called self-centering clutch release bearings, especially those with maintained self-centering, that two of the elements constituting such a bearing should be transversely movable in every direction relative to each other, one of these elements having, transversely with respect to the other, and omnidirectional capacity for movement.
This invention relates generally to the incorporation of an arrangement of this kind in a release bearing assembly of this kind comprising an operating element, an actuator and an intermediate bearing element, in order to extend the field of application of such an assembly.